Conspicuous by my absence

I have just logged into my blog account and realised that I haven’t written anything useful for three weeks! Woeful behaviour. I read another mummy blog the other day where a similar absence was put down to being “a bit sad”. Whilst this certainly rang a bell with me I have in reality been mostly very busy and away from the office where I often write these posts whilst pretending to work.

Over the last three weeks I have been:-

Camping with the babe and hubby in the rainy lakes,

Spending three lush days with my best bud and her babe doing child centric activities,

Looking for a new house,

Forgetting that I have to work for a living and,

Seriously thinking about babe no 2.

When I say camping I really mean glamping (if any form of holiday with a young child can be considered glamorous). We went to the Lake District in a camping pod provided by the National Trust. Whilst it rained it was very relaxing to be away from all things electronic and its only after the event that I realise just how much iPad and iPhone distract from the business of being a family.

The babe delighted in having both mother and father’s undivided attention and made the hubby’s year with her wide eyed smiles as he pitched his tent in the rain. I should note that the hubby has military roots and made a living out of adventurous training in his younger days. He has spent much of our courtship and marriage trying to get me into walking boots and gortex, largely unsuccessfully. He must have been overjoyed that lack of cash and reluctance to fly with the babe got me as close to nature as he could hope for. My new walking boots are fashionably purple but still fundamentally ugly.

The camping pod was really just a glorified shed. It had no light or power but the solid floor meant that the babe could have her full size travel cot and mum a camp cot on the floor. I can’t say daddy was disappointed to be squeezed out into his tent. Whether or not a two man North Face expedition tent intended by the manufacturer as suitable for making Everest base camp was needed is however debatable….

Like all good Mummy shoppers I did take the opportunity to find the babe wet weather kit so that she could get stuck in despite the weather. She is an infant size 3 so finding wellies was a nightmare! So much of a nightmare that I thought it only fair to share what I found. The shop is on my local high street but stock is all available online. Jump Shoes

The waterproof jacket and trousers were procured from JoJo Maman Bebe and are pac a mac style so they take up little to no room in a bag. They also come in a variety of girl and boy friendly colours and are available mail order. Pink and purple Polka Dots are all a girl needs to look stylish in the rain. That and purple walking boots…. Jojo Wet Weather Gear

NB. For the next few weeks I have made a commitment to myself to post something every day. A couple of days a week it will be extensive but mostly it will be a pic of something I am lusting after for myself or the babe (under the Barbie My Baby tagline) or an observation on something that has touched me during that day. Fingers crossed it’ll be entertaining.

Mothers and Daughters and Badly Dressed Babies

I have just had my Mum over for a Chinese as both my hubby and hers are working away. She was admiring the babes outfit of the day and I was reminded of my anal tendencies when it comes to clothing. I changed the babes tshirt three times this morning because I wasn’t happy with the neckline on some of her bigger tops. Her vest cannot be showing! (It’s borderline OCD). I thought I would share one of my least fashionable baby outfits today just to amuse. I promised to post about her christening outfit but this was a disaster in itself, based on my refusal to buy a pretty little girl party dress, lesson learned there…

The above pink explosion is a baby North Face track suit purchased in Whistler in Jan. The hubby is a massive fan of all things North Face and we felt she had to get in on the act. Fashionable it isn’t but cosy, comfy and perfic for crawling it very much is!

On more sensible subjects I was Godmother to my best friend from schools little girl on Sunday. Aside from the babe’s less than appropriate outfit we had a really nice day and I got to see some old friends from school. It’s lovely to be with people who you have shared other stages of your life with and then see them with their kids too. Lovely.

After the god parenting duties were done I retreated to the kids room at the back of the church to keep the babe entertained for the rest of the service. She had been smiling and waving at me from her mid pew seat throughout the christening itself. I think at the grand old age of one she lacked the realisation that this event was not all about her…bless.

What I wanted to blog about was a funny little conversation I had with my mate’s Mum in the kids room at the back. Before I mention it I think it’s important to say that I have been involved with their family for 15 years including going on hols together and am really close to her Mum and Dad. Her Mum was asking after the babe and my plans for baby no 2 when she slipped into the conversation that she didn’t think her daughter had “taken to” motherhood in the way that I had. Compliment to me certainly but a bit of a stab in the back for her own daughter perhaps?

I know I’m lucky to have a great relationship with my mum and I know not everyone does. I have seen enough of this particular relationship first hand to know that the two of them haven’t always got along. But still, it felt a bit disloyal even if I wasn’t surprised by it. Having said that I did wonder whether my mate herself would be far from annoyed and might just agree with he Mum. Not everyone feels the same way and it’s different strokes for different folks. Doesn’t make it right or wrong. Food for thought maybe.